NOAA Open House

Explore your world and learn more about how NOAA – the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – works to understand and predict changes in Earth’s environment to help protect people and property and to conserve and manage coastal and marine resources.

Join us at the Western Regional Center in Seattle, Washington to celebrate World Oceans Day with a series of free activities, including engaging science presentations and panels, interactive exhibits and tours. This event is perfect for the whole family.  (Adults – please remember to bring your photo IDs to gain access to the campus).

You will have the opportunity to learn more about a variety of NOAA programs, including the National Weather Service; NOAA Research’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory; National Marine Fisheries Service including the West Coast Region, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, and Northwest Fisheries Science Center; National Ocean Service’s Office of Response and Restoration; NOAA Tides and Currents; NOAA Corps; and many more!

What to See and Do:

• Experience an augmented reality sandbox to learn more about the ocean landscape
• See the inside of a traveling tide station maintenance van
• Join Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and explore a life-sized walk-inside model of “Big Mama” the humpback whale!
• Learn why estuaries are such a critical habitat.
• Discover successful habitat restoration projects along the shore of Lake Washington
• View samples of marine debris, watch Trash Talk videos, and spin the marine debris wheel of questions.
• Learn about food webs through live viewing of phytoplankton
• Explore NOAA’s internships, scholarships, summer camps, and STEM careers
• Participate in Steller Watch and help classify photos of Steller Sea Lions.
• Challenge your sensory skills at the Seafood Inspection booth. Learn how to tell a good quality salmon from a bad quality salmon. Spin the sensory wheel and discovery various odor associated with various quality of seafood. Learn how to use your olfactory and be an expert in no time.
• Interact with oceanographers and see what technologies they use to study the ocean
• Stroll through the NOAA Art Walk along the Lake Washington shoreline and see the famous Sound Garden.
• Learn more about fisheries research conducted in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

Tours:

Tours will be filled on a first come, first serve basis and will require people to line up at least 30 minutes prior to tour start time to join the tour. No registration required.

Guided tours include:

• WEATHER – Take a tour of NOAA’s National Weather Service Seattle office forecast center and learn how meteorologists work 24/7 to forecast the Seattle area weather from the waters of Puget Sound to the Cascade Mountains and everything in between. Tour is 40-50 minutes in length.
• OCEAN ENGINEERING – Step into NOAA’s engineering workspace where engineers are hard at work building and testing new technology to collect data from our oceans.  See the evolution of tsunami sensing moorings and new innovative technologies used to study the ocean. Tour is 40-50 minutes in length.
• MARINE MAMMALS – This tour includes rare access to the NOAA marine mammal research bone collection that includes orca skulls and a narwhal tusk! Tour is 40-50 minutes in length.
• SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES – Take a tour of NOAA Fisheries Net Loft where you will see how NOAA manages fisheries that produce sustainable seafood. Tour is 40-50 minutes in length.

NOAA Auditorium:

Please join us in the NOAA Auditorium (Building 9) for a series of free videos, presentations, and  talks.

12:15 p.m.       NOAA Films

  2:45 p.m.       Watch the Women of the NOAA Corps: Reflections from Sea and Sky, a documentary that highlights the important role women play in the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps.

            Join us after the documentary for a Q&A with panelists.

  5:30 p.m.         NOAA Films

NOAA WRC Open House Contact Information

For the latest information about the NOAA Open House check this website. Questions about the NOAA Open House may be emailed to oar.pmel.openhouse@noaa.gov or call 206-526-6810.